ashbydesign
Web
Ashbydesign develops websites that are functional, easy to navigate and accessible whilst being aesthetically pleasing.
The technical stuff
A website can look the business, but does it function well? How do you what's going on behind the scenes at the technical "back-end" of your website?
Ashhydesign websites are built using Standards Compliant semantic layouts. As well as making it easier for search engines to index a website, this method also aids accessibility.
All pages on this website and those we build for clients should be valid to Extensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML) 1.0 and use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) that apply style information to your pages and make websites more accessible and fast-loading.
To find out more about web standards, accessibility, semantic mark-up and css click on the links in the left hand column.
Accessibility
We make every effort to make this, and every other website we develop easy to use, and most importantly, accessible for everyone no matter which internet browser you use.
How you get to manage your site
Depending on your needs, there are various ways your website can be managed. You can choose to let us do everything for you - we can update and maintain the site regularly whenever you need. For those who prefer to control when and how content is added to your site, we offer a range of options.
Adobe Contribute: software that enables the client to change content on their website in a way that's as easy as using a simple word-processor.
Content Management Systems: Ashbydesign provides the design element and collaborates with programmers/technicians, depending on the requirements of the website. This way, you get exactly what your website needs. Our websites have been built around open source systems including Joomla (incorporating MySQL back-end) and Wordpress, as well as made-to-measure CMS solutions that incorporate a behind-the-scenes database.
Attracting visitors to your website
This is this the process called "Search engine optimisation (SEO)" - and the term refers to the techniques used to maximise the chances of getting a decent ranking for your site in search engines so that it stands a good chance of being "found" on the web.
A number of factors are important when optimising a site, including the way a website is constructed, its content and structure, html meta-tags and submission process. These are all part of the process that Ashbydesign employs when building a website.
In addition to this, we provide guidelines that will help you to make the best of the content you provide, as well as giving tips on marketing your website on and beyond the web.
The process of developing a website
1: Concept and initial planning
The process begins with a discussion that focuses on understanding your business, identifying who your website is for (target audience), what you want it to do (aims) and what you would like to feature on the site (content and design).
2. Wireframe
We then draw up the initial concepts and construct a wireframe that details the way your site should work.
3. Refine
This phase involves refining the initial design concepts into one final concept which will ultimately become the look of your website.
4. Building
Once you are happy with how your site will look and function, Ashbydesign will begin building and testing the actual website in order for it to go live.
